Greenwich Country Day School will bring Juilliard instructors into its classrooms this fall through a new performing arts partnership, the school announced Wednesday, Aug. 26.
The GCDS-Juilliard Collaborative will pair graduate students, alumni and affiliated artists from The Juilliard School, the performing arts conservatory at Lincoln Center, with GCDS music faculty for the 2026-27 school year. Juilliard will oversee the instructors' training and supervision.
It is the first time Juilliard has partnered directly with GCDS.
Head of School Adam Rohdie tied the initiative to the school's ongoing campus construction, saying the partnership anchors the physical expansion with a new programmatic vision, according to Patch.
The pilot year covers strings, band and choral programs across two divisions. Students will receive intensive ensemble-based instruction for strings, sectional coaching for band and string programs in the Upper Elementary and Upper School divisions, and coaching for the Upper School choral program. During the 2026-27 school year, Juilliard collaborative instructors will give ongoing mentorship alongside GCDS music faculty. Juilliard artists will also perform alongside students during GCDS concerts.
"This extends the school's commitment to applied learning, having the best artists work directly with our students, so that they gain a deep understanding of how expert musicians work at the highest level," said Jesse Tennyson, director of arts at GCDS.
The collaboration launches as a new performing arts center takes shape on the school's Stanwich Road campus. The Amanda Gesine Winklevoss '94 Performing Arts Center, which was under construction as of November 2025, is slated to open in 2027. During the pilot year, Juilliard instructors will work in existing classrooms and rehearsal spaces.
GCDS said the first year is intended to lay groundwork for broader collaborations. The school has not announced a specific start date for the Juilliard instructors' first sessions or how many students will participate.
